In crowded mkt, jeweller shot dead in robbery of gold, silver worth lakhs

Raipur: In the middle of a crowded weekly market, a 46-year-old jeweller was shot dead for resisting a robbery attempt by two assailants late Tuesday in Guarela-Pendra-Marwahi district. The accused fled on their bike with a bag containing gold and silver ornaments worth lakhs.The brazen at Kotmi weekly market triggered panic across the busy haat and sparked outrage among traders, with markets in Pendra and nearby areas remaining shut on Wednesday in protest. Police said blood stains, empty cartridges and other evidence were recovered from the crime scene, while CCTV footage from the market and surrounding routes was being scanned to catch the accused. The deceased trader was identified as Pradeep Soni, 46.The murder also triggered widespread anger among residents, who questioned the absence of security arrangements despite the market regularly attracting jewellers and large crowds.Police said Soni, a resident of Pendra town who owned a jewellery shop there, had gone to the weekly market around 16 km away to sell ornaments as he did every Tuesday. Around 7pm, when he was packing up after the market closed, three masked men arrived on a motorcycle and allegedly tried to snatch the jewellery bag from him.When Soni resisted, one of the assailants fired at him from point-blank range, hitting him in the chest in front of hundreds of shoppers and traders.The gunshot sent the crowded market into chaos, with terrified people running for cover and several traders hurriedly shutting their shops. The attackers fled immediately after looting the ornaments.Locals rushed the critically injured jeweller to the district hospital, where doctors declared him dead. Doctors said he suffered a bullet injury to the right side of the chest.Family members claimed the robbers escaped with gold and silver jewellery worth between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 60 lakh.Late Tuesday night, angry relatives and traders staged a road blockade at Pendra’s busy Durga Chowk by placing the body on the road and demanding immediate arrest of the accused. The protest continued for several hours before authorities assured them that the culprits would be arrested soon. Family members initially refused to allow postmortem examination until the accused were arrested.Additional SP Avinash Mishra said police had launched a massive manhunt and barricading operations across multiple districts in neighbouring states as well. “Technical evidence, CCTV footage and local intelligence inputs are being analysed. We have identified some suspects,” the officer said.The incident has also drawn political criticism, with Congress leaders attacking the state govt over deteriorating law and order. Former MLA Shailesh Pandey alleged that traders and citizens no longer felt safe and claimed criminals were operating without fear.